Oh, you should have been there.
The main chambers at City Hall had almost 80 people in attendance this Wednesday evening, all concerned one way or the other, about the Sailor’s Cove housing development down on Kingston’s riverfront property.
About 25 people voiced opinions in favor of the project. Just as many voiced opposition. The developer and the architect were in the audience and got to experience what will be the first of many such hearings.
Several Aldermen had their say as well as notable home and business owners within the city. Each with a different perspective of what the project should offer. What we had on display, didn’t come close.
My take was; how many times do we, as citizens, have to ask developers to reshape the project, just to have a similar model come right back to us?
This has been in the making for years and no-one thought to ask any of the concerned locals for design ideas?
I was thinking... where can I get a magic marker and help them along? Would they stop me?
Imagine using photo-shop on selected buildings from Broadway with rentals, condos and retail, and then crunch them together in the block form they did here. The developer requires a dense public use of the project, I understand, but the layout could look a little more like the character of Kingston.
Scenic Hudson spokesman, Warren Reiss, suggested to the Planning Board that the number of housing units be reduced from the 380 they have offered.
Reiss was quoted in the Freeman: "With fewer units, the massive adult residence buildings can be significantly reduced, visual impacts and traffic impacts can be reduced and additional waterfront open space can be provided,"
Reiss was quoted in the Freeman: "With fewer units, the massive adult residence buildings can be significantly reduced, visual impacts and traffic impacts can be reduced and additional waterfront open space can be provided,"
He went on to say: "The repetition of the facade throughout the development stands in stark contrast to the fabric of varied architecture and building materials found on city blocks in Kingston's Uptown, Ponckhockie or Rondout districts,"
Now, how to we help the architect understand that the design is killing the project?
Those of us who know that Kingston needs to grow it’s tax base also know we have to grow sensibly. Sailor’s Cove is a needed development and an increase in citizens would be welcomed, but we have to get past the Yonkers Condo theme and take a much needed stroll down some city streets. Puh-Leez!
4 comments:
Madsen, I saw those plans up close. The footprint and unit designs were rediculous. The residents would be honeycombed like lab experiments.
Your point is right, why do they always start with the worst plan when they approach every town? Are they expecting one of the towns to just rollover the first time they meet?
Could you please explain what you are seeing as the "character of Kingston"? Should they be painted lemon yellow like the pool house at Andretta pool with a paved wall such as the one in front of city hall that looks like waves of an ocean? Anything new, done by professionals, would be acceptable to me. Just worry about finding someone to be around to live in them.
Who the hell is going to livr in the units. What is the mayor trying to prove here. Kingston is still going to be a dumbing ground you know that don't you Mr. mayor.
Crossroads builds new treatment plant in New Platz - silly Kingston gets only a few mayorial campaign contributions?
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